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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. I

E. G. BUTCHER. EQUESTRIAN GYMNASIUM.

No. 377233. Patented. Jan. 31, 1888.

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E. G. BUTCHER.

EQUESTRIAN GYMNASIUM. No. 377,233. Patented Jan. 31, 1888.

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ATENT ED\VAED G. BUTCHER, OF OAMANOHE, IOWVA.

EQUESTRiAN GYMNASIUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,233, dated January31,1888.

(No model.)

To CLZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD G. BUTCHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Camanche, in the county of Clinton and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvementsin Equestrian Gymnasiums;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an equestrian gymnasium-that is, one which ismounted upon the backs of horses, or upon trucks drawn by horses aroundthe track at a circus, hippodrome, or country fairfor the use of one ormore acrobats in giving exhibition performances.

The novelty of my invention lies in a gymnasium so mounted, togetherwith the construc tion and arrangement of its component parts, all aswill be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

For a better understanding of the details of construction andarrangement attention is invited to the accompanying drawings, whereinlike letters of reference denote corresponding parts, and in which-Figure 1 is a perspective view of my gymnasium mounted upon two trucksand adapted to be drawn by four horses; Fig. 2, a detail of the twotrucks and the steering mechanism, and Fig. 3 a detail of one of thetrucks. Fig. 4 is a perspective viewillustrating the device as beingcarried on the backs of horses.

I would state for information that while this machine can be and hasbeen mounted upon the backs of the horses with very satisfactoryresults, it is better to mount it upon trucks, as it not only relievesthe horses of the weight, but rides more steadily and enables theacrobat to perform with more grace and case. For these reasons I haveselected this form for illustration, and will describe it as adapted foruse with four horses, although with but slight changes, more or less maybe used according to the size or capacity of the whole.

In the drawings, A A denote a pair of twowheel trucks which areconnected by a reach, A. The axle of each truck is provided with aplatform, 13, consisting of two uprights, cc, connected at their upperends by a plate, b.

O is the frame, which is mounted upon the platforms of these two trucksand which supports the gymnastic appliances. This frame consists of twoparallel side beams, c 0, con nected by three transverse beams, c c 0,one at each end and at the center. These transverse beams,which areofcorrcspondinglength, extend out some distance beyond the side beams, cc, and are connected at their outer ends by rods (1, with nuts d ontheir extremities.

The beams comprising this frame 0 are all connected by bolts and nuts,so as to be easily taken apart for packing and shipping. The frame thusconstructed is bolted to two transverse beams, 0 0 connected With theplat formsB of the trucks. This frame O is provided with four uprightsor poles, D, the lower ends of which pass through the ends of the sidebeams, c c, and are screw-threaded to receive nuts 0, which screw upagainst the bot tom of the beams 0. These uprights or poles D arefurther provided with collars 0 just above and next to the upper side ofthe beams. The upper ends of these uprights or poles are connected to aframe, E, in the same way as they are connected to the frame 0, so thatthese parts can be easily taken apart for convenience in packing andshipping. From this upper frame, E, may be suspended a trapeze or a pairof rings, or both, if convenient. At each end of the frame 0 is a groupof three stay-rods, D D D. The center rod of this group is bolted to thereach A, and the other two rods pass through the end beams c of theframe, and are secured by nuts, as described with relation to the polesor uprights D. The outer ends of these stay-rods come together and areunited by a plate, f, to which they are secured by a nut, f, on the endof each. A rope or wire cable, F, connected to the outer end of eachgroup of stay-rods and passing through the topmost frame, E, serves tobrace these parts, and additional bracing is furnished by four ropes orwire cables, F, attached to this frame 0 at the ends of its end beams c0. These two groups of stay-rods also furnish the means for attaching atight rope, G, and the ropes or cables may be gayly decked with flags orbunting to make the machine as attractive as possible in appearance.

To the central transverse beam 0 of the frame 0 is hinged a standard, H,which constitutes a horizontal bar. This standard is braced by two ropesor wire cables, hh, which at one end are connected to the rear end oftheframe 0 and at the other end are wound upon a windlass, H, located atthe front end bolted a plate, I, to which in turn is bolted a flatcircular disk, I, provided on top near its periphery,on the inside ofthe beam cflwith a journal-box, k. These two journal-boxes 7c furnishend bearings for a central shaft, J, running parallel with the sidebeams, c c, of the frame 0. This shaft is provided with two smallpinions, m m, one near each of its end bearings, and these pinions meshwith two crown cog-wheels, K, bolted one to each of the platforms B ofthe trucks A. Each of these trucks turns upon a king-bolt, L, whichpasses down through it and the end of the reach.

The shaft J is provided with a pilot or steering wheel just in front ofthe drivers seat M, by which he is enabled to simultaneously turn boththe front and rear wheels in the direction.

he wishes to take.

The horses are hitched in the frame 0- between its side beams, c 0, andthe rods (1 d, which connect the ends of its transverse beams c c 0'. Byplacing the horses in the frame the draft islightened and the driver isenabled to control them better thanif they were hitched to the frontend, and besides these advantages this arrangement prevents the carriagefrom tilting or swaying in making short turns.

Although it is usually advantageous to mount the apparatus upontrucks,as herein described, still in some instances itmay be moreeconomical to carry the apparatus directly on the horses backs, and forthis purpose the saddlesO O are employed.

The saddles, which should be padded to insure comfort, are attached tothe central bar and the outside bars, respectively, by the ends, as willbe seen by an inspection of Fig. 4, and are adapted to fit over thehorses backs,'and

when all are in proper position the side bars and the central bar shouldhang in about the same position as when the trucks are used.

A machine of this kind forms quite an at traction in this line ofamusements. Besides it does away with the expense and labor of puttingup the several gymnastic appliances for a performance.

I do not wish to be confined strictly to the details of construction andarrangement of the parts of this machine as herein shown, as they arecapable of many changes Without the exercise of invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A vehicle carrying a frame-work, side spaces in said frame-work, ineach of which one of the draft-horses is harnessed,and a gymnasiummounted ,upon said framework, all combined substantially as and for thepurposes set forth- I 2. A vehicle carrying a fram'e-workwith sidespaces in which to harness the drafthorscs,a gymnasium mounted upon saidfra mework, and mechanism for steering the vehicle, all combinedsubstantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A vehicle carrying an open frame-work of beams detachablyconnectedtogether, and gymnastic appliances attached to and supported bystay-rods'and uprights detachably secured to said frame-work,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4:. A gymnasium-composed of apair of twowheel trucks, a frame mountedupon said trucks, a group of stay-rods at each end of said frame, and atight rope stretched between said groups of stay-rods, substantially asdescribed.

5. A mounted gymnasium composed of a pair of two-wheel trucks, a framemounted upon said trucks, four uprights secured to said frame andconnected by a frame at their upper ends, and a trapeze or the likesuspended from said upper frame, substantially as described.

6. A mounted gymnasium composed of a I frame, substantially asdescribed.

7. A mounted gymnasium composed of a pair of two-wheel trucks, a framemounted upon said trucks, a horizontal bar mounted upon standards hingedto said frame, stay ropes or cables for the standards, and a windlassfor tightening said stay ropes or cables and for raising and loweringthe standards withits bar, substantially as described.

8. In a mounted gymnasium, the combination of a pair of'two-wheel trucksand a frame mounted upon said trucks and provided with four uprights andtwo groups of stay-rods connected by stay ropes or cables, substantiallyas described.

9. In a mounted gymnasium, the combination, with the trucks upon whichthe same is mounted, of a crown cog-wheel secured on the platform ofeach truck, and a shaft provided wit-h pinions meshing with saidcog-wheels and with means for turning said shaft,substantially'asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two, witnesses.

EDWARD G. BUTCHER.

